The Bridge to Mnemosyne
by Goldberry
Summary: The bridge of memories is made of glass, and shatters just as easily. [NejiTen][Part 2 of 'The River Trilogy']
1. Odd Man Out

Author's Notes: This is a prequel to "Crossing the Acheron", meant to explain events I only hinted at in that particular story. As such, I **heavily** suggest you read that first if you haven't, as it will give you a greater understanding of what's happening. Of course, you don't have to, seeing how this is a prequel, but since I wrote "Acheron" first it will make reading this a lot easier. NejiTen as always and a bit of one sided Lee/Sakura. I don't expect this story to be any longer than "Acheron" so please keep that in mind.

Enjoy!

**The Bridge to Mnemosyne  
**Chapter One

Spring in Konoha was one of Lee's favorite things. The leaves were brilliantly green, the morning air was crisp, and Gai-sensei had initiated his Springtime of Youth! exercises that could not fail to help him finally beat Neji. The village itself seemed to be blooming, flowers dripping from crawling vines and cherry blossoms littering the sidewalks and streets. Even the people seemed happier in the bright rays of the sun, the children laughing and playing, girls wearing ribbons in their hair. Only Sakura-san needed no decoration. She was a flower unto herself.

He had seen her that morning, a brief flash of pink hair and bright eyes as she entered the Academy alongside Ino. She had mentioned something the other day about demonstrating jutsus to Iruka's class and Lee secretly thought those children were very lucky. He was sure Sakura-san's natural warmth would lead them to become great ninja!

With her in mind, he clenched a determined fist and quickened his pace, suddenly excited about the upcoming mission. All he had to do was pick up Neji and they would be meeting the others by the perimeter gates, where all serious missions began. 'A' ranked missions were certainly nothing to scoff at.

Surprisingly, it turned out Lee was saved from a trip to the stuffy Hyuuga compound by Neji himself. His longtime teammate came down a flight of apartment stairs, zipping his jacket as he went, obviously not quite together that morning. His long hair had yet to be tied back and there was something about his face that Lee couldn't read. However, he didn't need to.

He knew whose apartment it was.

"Neji," he exclaimed, stopping short, eyes going wide. He glanced up at Tenten's apartment and back down to his disheveled partner in shock. Neji halted upon seeing him there, his expression finally settling back into the self-assured look of the Hyuuga prodigy.

"Lee," he returned calmly, as if it was not obvious he had spent the night with the only girl who meant something to both of them, if in different ways. Lee's distinctive eyebrows drew together at Neji's tone. He would not allow him to brush this off as if it were nothing. Lee and Tenten had long had an affectionate relationship, almost like that of brother and sister. Although, he was pretty sure that Tenten regarded herself as an _older_ sister, and he the young boy that needed to be shaken back into reality every once in awhile. The three of them had trained together for years before the separation that came with achieving higher shinobi levels, and they still did whenever time allowed. For Neji to treat their very close friend in such a relaxed manner…

Lee closed the gap between them with a frown. "Do you know what you're doing?"

It was Neji's turn to frown. "What?"

"Don't hurt her, Neji," he said, perfectly serious. "If you do, I'll never forg-"

"Good," Neji interrupted him, a surprising lack of anger in his voice. Instead, he seemed to be seeing Lee in a different light, his head tilted slightly to one side as if an idea had occurred to him. "I want you to promise me something, Lee."

Thrown off the track of what would have been a fiery and beautiful speech, Lee watched the other man carefully. "What?"

"The three of us have relied on each other many times." Neji looked away, that odd expression crossing his face again. Lee wondered what it meant. "If something were to happen, promise me you won't let her be alone."

The taijutsu master didn't like where this was going. "You think something's going to happen? Why?" He shouldn't have worried through, because in the next instant, Neji flashed him his trademark smirk.

"I defied fate."

Lee felt his expression fall into solemnity as something like a chill ran up his spine. He couldn't really understand what was happening and his mind fumbled for the serenity he had felt earlier. Neji's words rang with the sound of something mysterious and Lee had never liked secrets. They always had a way of coming out and changing people's lives at the worst times. He supposed he was also a little disappointed. For years, it had just been the three of them. Even when they weren't assigned to the same teams, he had always felt there would be an underlying bond between himself, Neji, and Tenten. Now it seemed like he was the odd man out and he wondered if Neji or Tenten would have told him about their relationship. Tenten might have, but he had a feeling Neji would never have mentioned it and had only vaguely done so after being caught.

Still, he shouldn't be so surprised. He had known for years that Tenten had had somewhat of a crush on Neji, no matter how much she liked to deny it. She buried herself in missions and training practices, but he always saw them for what they were: distractions. He was not as oblivious as some liked to think he was.

Neji being one of them.

Straightening his spine, Lee looked his friend in the eye, still unsure but knowing that taking care of Tenten was something he would have done anyway. "I promise." Strangely, the lines of Neji's shoulders visibly relaxed, but Lee still had more to say. "I also promise to protect her from _you_." Neji glared at him but he stood his ground until finally the Hyuuga genius nodded once.

"Fine." Neji turned on his heel. "Now let's go. We're going to be late."

Glancing up at Tenten's apartment one last time, Lee hurried to catch up to his teammate, hoping he would never have reason to fulfill his strange oath.

* * *

The wind turned cold around midnight. Standing in the moon-cast shadow of a tree, Lee rubbed his arms briskly and mourned the loss of his favorite springtime weather. Clouds raced along the starlight sky, giving the jounin team lots of cover but obscuring their vision at the same time. The only one that wasn't hampered by the flickering dark was Neji and he was close to the front of their group, eyeing the terrain with a silver gaze.

They had not spoken of what had happened that morning, too caught up in traveling with the wind-bred speed of elite ninja. In fact, Neji appeared as if he had forgotten the whole thing, as focused and as serious as ever when it came to the mission. Instead it was Lee who was off balance, wondering what was going on in his friend's head. He had seemed true enough that morning, but was Neji really just using Tenten? Did he have any true feelings for her? Lee liked to think he understood Neji well enough to know that the man wouldn't use their childhood teammate in such a way. If nothing else, Neji never hid the truth. So, did that mean he was in love with her? Had he told her that?

A few feet away, Neji exhaled in irritation. "Shut up, Lee," he said quietly, still peering into the forest. "I can't concentrate."

"I didn't say anything!" Lee answered indignantly, frowning at Neji's back. The Hyuuga didn't move.

"I can hear you thinking clear over here." One white eye glanced back at him briefly. "If you want to ask me something, just do it."

Lee crossed his arms. "Fine." He paused, hesitating slightly before plunging ahead. "Did you tell her?"

Neji twitched. "What?"

"You told her, right? How you feel." The air went still and Neji presented him only with silence. Lee's fingers curled into a fist. "You _didn't_ tell her!"

"I didn't have time," Neji shot back, turning his head to the left as something moved in the bushes. It was only a pheasant.

"She's never going to know the burning fire of your love if you don't _tell_ her, Neji!" Lee exclaimed in a whisper. A thought popped into his head then and he stopped, suddenly wondering if he had made a mistake. "You do love her, don't you?"

For a moment there was nothing, no reaction, and Lee felt his stomach clench at the notion that he had misjudged the situation. But then Neji's head dropped a little and Lee caught a brief glimpse of raw emotion on his friend's face.

"I-"

A kunai came whistling out of the dark and Neji flung himself to one side, letting the weapon embed itself in the tree behind him. Instantly, Lee lifted a hand and their team surged into motion, black shapes against blacker backgrounds as they flitted through shadow, engaging the newly come enemies swiftly.

As they battled, Lee tried to keep an eye on Neji, knowing that getting separated might mean death with such limited visibility, at least on his part. His friend's fight only came to him as glimmers of steal and chakra though, and soon Lee had lost track of his position, too busy dealing with his own opponent to worry about anyone else.

He would regret that decision later, of course. Tormenting himself with 'what ifs' until Gai-sensei finally punched him halfway across the room in an effort to knock some sense into him. For the moment, however, the goal was to survive the night. It would take the sun rising on four ninja instead of five to make him realize that something was wrong.

They found evidence of Neji's battle by the riverside, footprints and splatters of blood a sign that someone had been wounded there, possibly severely. Lee knelt in the dirt, brows drawn together, his usual enthusiasm dampened by what he read in the traces left behind.

"He might have holed up somewhere, especially if he was injured," Shikamaru said from behind him, the flat tones of his voice showing he was confident that Neji was alive. "That guy would not be defeated so easily."

"That's right," Naruto added, pumping a fist into the air, "There's no way he would lose!" Naruto had gained a lot of faith in Neji over the years, after fighting with him in the first Chuunin exam and then after their failed mission to retrieve Sasuke. His surety was enough to give Lee back some of his energy.

Shikamaru just sighed. "Let's spread out and look for him. Meet back in this spot by sundown."

Unfortunately, it turned out that sundown wasn't long enough. They searched for twenty-four hours, scouring the landscape for any sign that Neji had passed that way. During that time, Lee rarely slept, pushed onward by the promise he had made, plagued by the thought that Neji had known all along he wasn't coming back from this mission. Just to prove the Hyuuga wrong, Lee was bound and determined to find him.

Instead, he found Neji's forehead protector in the mud of the riverbank. It was scratched and dented but surprisingly clean, as if the river had washed it up like some forgotten token, one of those coins people threw in fountains in exchange for wishes. Lee lifted it carefully, bandaged fingers tracing the leaf symbol. Exhaling, he looked out over the river, a certain emptiness settling in his chest with a finality that almost hurt.

"_I_ was supposed to beat you," he told the water. Ripples sparkled merrily back, mocking him.

Neji didn't answer.

* * *

The Hokage ordered them back to Konoha that night. The trip was a quiet one, each of them absorbed in their own thoughts. Naruto seemed angry, growling under his breath, his blue eyes flashing at whatever was running through his mind. Shikamaru looked rather resigned and frustrated at the same time. He had been the leader of their mission and to lose a team member under his watch was a hard thing to deal with. Lee had nothing to say to him, however. He was too stricken to do much more than mindlessly follow his friends back to the gates of the village, only vaguely hearing them say their goodbyes with downcast eyes. When they had left him, he turned slowly and began walking, arms limp at his sides, head down. Upon reaching his destination, Lee looked up at the lights burning in Tenten's apartment and swallowed, his eyes stinging with tears.

…promise me you won't let her be alone.

He rang the doorbell and listened as he heard her footsteps pad across the floor inside, the chain rattling as she opened the door. She was wearing pajama pants and a tank top, her hair let down in concession to the warm evening weather. Her face lit up upon seeing him and his heart ached at the happiness he saw in her eyes, the happiness Neji had put there.

And Lee was about to take it away.

"Hey, you're back!" she said cheerfully, leaning against the doorframe. Her expression fell slightly when he didn't reply. "Lee, are you alright?" She shifted then, her breath quickening as she realized something was wrong. Her voice grew quiet. "Lee, where's Neji?"

He brought his hand up slowly, lifting his fallen teammate's forehead protector as if it were almost too heavy for him, tears finally running down his cheeks as he saw her pale, brown eyes widening at what he offered her.

"Tenten," he said miserably, "Neji is…is.."

But he never got to finish because she suddenly collapsed, falling forward into him in a dead faint, Neji's forehead protector clattering to the steps as he used both hands to catch her. Kneeling down, he cradled her carefully, wishing Gai-sensei was there to tell him what to do.

Death could not be fixed by hard work.

To be continued.

1. Mnemosyne: River of Memory in Greek mythology.


	2. A Cold Comfort

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait on this one, real life has a nasty habit of popping up at the most disagreeable times. The only important note I want to make about this chapter is that, though I mention Sasuke in this, he's not important, so don't worry about where he is or what he's doing. He's probably off with Orochimaru at this point but the details aren't necessary. Just know that's he's been gone for awhile.

For TeamGaiFan, whose constructive and supportive reviewing makes writing this a blast.

**The Bridge to Mnemosyne  
**Chapter Two

It was raining again. It seemed like the water never stopped, just keep pouring down from the sky in sheets and torrents, turning the streets into rivers and pebbling her windows with crystal drops. It was not unfitting, her tears kept coming as well, trickling down her cheeks silently, only ceasing when in the presence of others. For some reason, she did not sob, no hysterical cries or fits of weeping. Just water, and she made very little of that.

Mindlessly tracing a raindrop's path down the cool glass, she knew there was something wrong with her. In every movie she had ever seen, in every book she had ever read, the heroine _always_ broke down after finding out her lover was dead. There was no question, it was just what a heroine did, what _women_ did. You cried, you wailed, and wore black on Sundays.

Tenten did none of these.

After her initial fainting spell, her body had shut down and her walls had gone up. She went about her daily routine, following the well worn paths of her life simply because they were there and people would ask her questions otherwise. She didn't like to go out anymore. The villagers spoke of Neji with words like "was" and "knew", all of them in the past tense, and wore pitying looks on their faces as they wondered that he had died so young. Only Lee was exempt, mostly because she knew he went to the perimeter wall every day to look out over the countryside, waiting for their lost teammate to return. She had heard a younger ninja call him foolish the day before. Tenten's glare had sent the girl running, stammering out an apology. Lee was all she had left, and she clung to that bond like a lifeboat.

She couldn't even bear to be around Gai-sensei anymore, for he _did_ cry. All the time, in fact, and it was too much. Too much. She couldn't bear other people's sorrow, let alone her own, which was why Lee's presence was so welcome. To her, he showed only determination that Neji was somehow still alive, that he would never allow himself to be beaten so easily. He never said it in so many words of course, but she knew he still had hope. After giving her Neji's forehead protector, he never showed tears in front of her again and never asked about the lack of her own. He was simply _there_, stable and heartfelt and requiring nothing of her in return.

She sighed quietly and turned from the window, rubbing those silent tears from her face with a sleeve as she reached down for her jacket, the pockets already filled with various scrolls. She was set to do a mission that night, despite the horrible weather. Not that she really minded, nothing seemed to affect her anymore. Battle, though, that seemed to be the only thing that made her see the world again, in all it's colors. Otherwise, it was all faded, washed-out, bleached.

Like his eyes.

Her fingers trembled for a moment before she got a hold of herself. Those odd, noiseless tears were going to start again if she didn't pay attention. Zipping up her jacket, she headed towards the door and the dreary world outside only to find Shikamaru standing in the hallway, apparently waiting for her.

To say that she was surprised was an understatement, though her body no longer had the energy for the customary reactions. Instead she only tilted her head, pausing with her door half closed.

"What are you doing here?"

He was looking at her as if he wasn't quite sure himself, but his words held their usual casualness. "I'd rather you not go with us tonight."

She blinked. "What?"

He sighed and rubbed the back of neck. "Look, if it was just you and me, I wouldn't be here, but I have three other people under my watch tonight." His voice flattened out even though his expression was almost apologetic. "You've become reckless, Tenten. You don't care about your personal safety anymore and are barely aware of anyone else's." He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I won't say I don't know why, because I do, but I still can't have you endangering yourself and the rest of my team." He looked her right in the eye. "I owe Neji that much."

She almost cursed him then, for his damnable quick mind that knew he could undo her just by saying that name, and for choosing Neji to be a part of that mission back then. It was an unfair grudge, she knew that, but it was there nonetheless. Only time would see its passing, and certainly not while Shikamaru stood there, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else.

She looked away, bowing her head slightly as she exhaled. Her shoulders fell but she tried to make her voice as smooth as possible. "You must do what you think is right." She saw him flinch out of the corner of her eye but couldn't bring herself to care. He was taking away the only escape she still had. She wasn't going to praise him for it. She wasn't going to fight him either.

Pushing her door open all the way, she stepped back inside the darkness of her apartment, feeling a shadowy weight fall again onto her shoulders. Outside in the hall, Shikamaru's voice came to her quietly.

"We'll be waiting for you, when you're yourself again."

A cracked and painful smile curved her lips and she leaned back to click the door shut. She knew he meant well, and that he was worried about her in his own way, but she could never tell him that there was no going back.

How could she be herself when half of her was missing?

And the empty apartment that pushed at her, suffocating her, was only a reminder of everything he had once filled, everything she had lost.

It was unbearable.

And before she knew it, a low keen had risen in her throat, the soft, grief-stricken prelude to an all-out wail. Clasping a hand over her mouth, she stumbled towards the couch, her fingers doing nothing to smother the involuntary sound ripping itself out of her. Legs shaking, she missed the couch and collapsed next to it, knees thumping into the hard wood floor as she crouched over them, shuddering with that terrifying scream of loneliness that trembled within her bones and hurt her heart.

For the first time since she had learned that he was dead, Tenten let herself weep, no longer silent but almost unconscious with the powerful sobs that racked her. Her fingers dug into the floor without purchase and her whole world contracted until it held only the flash of lightning through the windows, the rolls of thunder that could never quite drown out her cries, and the whispery moan of his name to the stormy heavens.

"Neji."

It looked like she wasn't so different from those heroines after all.

* * *

"Lee-san!" 

He turned awkwardly in mid-step, his body halting involuntarily at the sound of Sakura's voice over the rainfall. He searched for her and found her standing under the awning of the flower shop Ino worked at, one hand raised in a half-wave, her face expression incredulity that he was out in such weather and without an umbrella.

He supposed it _was _strange that he was standing there, drenched all the way through and not a bit upset about it, his mind solely focused on his mission, but then storms had never stopped him before. Neither had earthquakes, flashfloods, blizzards, firestorms… What was the danger in natural disasters when one was constantly beat up by their genius teammate? He remembered Neji and Tenten shaking their heads at him as he did 200 push-ups during the biggest heat wave of the year.

He had passed out at 198.

Tenten had scolded him and dumped a bucket of water over his head, all the while trying to hide the smile at the corner of her mouth. Neji had simply folded his arms over his chest and announced that Lee was an idiot. Lee, himself, had only smiled sheepishly and promised that next time, he would do 300.

Because he was Rock Lee and that's just what he did.

"Sakura-san," he greeted, bounding over to her. She smiled slightly and tucked a lock of cherry hair behind her ear.

"Lee-san, it's pouring! What are you doing out? Are you visiting Tenten?"

He nodded, inadvertently showering her with water. "I heard she was taken off her latest mission. I thought she could use the company." He paused to rearrange his features, hiding the flash of sadness that threatened to overcome him. It wouldn't do for Sakura to worry about him. "What about you? Have you been to see Ino?"

Sakura waved a hand dismissively. "Ino-pig never changes. She's as stubborn as ever. I'm more concern about Tenten. I…" she hesitated, "I don't know her very well, but I can… relate to what she is going through." She looked away for a moment and her green eyes actually faded, the light going out of them. Lee felt his fingers clench.

Sasuke.

Sakura continued more softly. "If you could, would you tell her I'm here if she needs to talk? I'm down at the hospital most days so she can find me easily."

"Of course, Sakura-san! I will hurry to deliver your message this instant!" He made as if to bolt off but a hand on his arm stopped him. He blinked back at her, surprised, only to find her smiling again.

"Take this." She offered him the umbrella under her arm. "You need it more than I do."

He grinned. "Ah, I could not, Sakura-san! A lady such as yourself should be protected from the rain." With a cheerful wave, he surged back out into the thunderstorm, never seeing the pleasantly surprised look on kunoichi's face as she watched his back, a stray thought in her mind wondering when she would be the one that he would watch.

He reached Tenten's apartment just as the rain was letting up and he took the stairs three at time, shaking damp strands of hair out of his eyes to ring her doorbell. A minute passed and he rang it again, eyebrows drawing together as he attempted to peer through the one-way peephole. Had she gone out? Surely not with the weather the way it was, especially since Shikamaru had forced her to take some leave. Maybe she was sleeping… except, he was pretty sure she didn't sleep anymore, not easily anyway.

Wiping raindrops from his face, he leaned forward and pressed his ear against he door, hoping to hear her television, or maybe the radio, any sign that she was at home. Instead, he heard horrible, gut-wrenching sobs that made instant tears spring to his eyes. He had been waiting for this to happen, for her to break, he only wished she hadn't been alone…

Stepping back, he kicked open the door, careless of the damage his weighted leg inflicted. Tenten was on the floor near her couch, the entire room drenched in darkness, and she turned her head only slightly to see what had happened, unable to breathe or speak past her grief.

"Tenten…." he said, anguished. Shaking, she held out a hand towards him and he dropped beside her, pulling her into a hug as she wept her heart out, seemingly oblivious to his wet clothes. He wrapped his bandaged arms around her carefully, feeling his own sorrow well up until he too wanted to cry.

"Neji," she gasped between sobs, her voice hoarse, "He's…he's…he's _dead_…"

A chill passed through him and his next breath actually hurt. It was the first time she had admitted the truth, and there was something about it that seemed so final, as if by uttering the words they closed the book on Neji's life and put it away, never to be opened again.

There was nothing he could say to her that might bring her comfort. He had already asked for her forgiveness that he had not kept a better eye on Neji. Tenten's glare had stopped him before he could even finish. _Don't you dare say it's your fault_, she had told him, _Neji kept an eye on us, not the other way around._

The truth was a cold comfort.

* * *

Sakura had almost forgotten her conversation with Lee until Tenten walked into the hospital weeks later, looking tired and out of place and all too thin. Her hair was down, as if she no longer bothered to tie it up, or lacked the strength to, and there were dark circles under her eyes, evidence of too little sleep. She was altogether a different person, no longer vibrant and full of determination and skill, but…weary, as if her fire had gone out. 

And maybe it had. Sakura didn't know much about Tenten and Neji's relationship except what Lee told her and what she heard around town, but it was clear that his death had deeply affected the older girl. Which, even without any romantic feelings, would not have been a surprise. Neji had been, after all, her teammate, but Sakura was sure that it went deeper than that. Tenten's grief was almost visible, a mantle of black that she wore around her shoulders, a living entity that was slowly killing her.

Sakura understood. She, too, had lost a precious person once.

"Tenten-san," she said warmly, reaching forward to clasp the other girl's hands gently. "I wasn't sure you would come. Would you like to speak privately? There's a room where-"

"Actually," Tenten interrupted quietly, "I need to speak with you as a patient." Something moved in her dark eyes and Sakura felt her expression turn serious. "Everyone knows you're a wonderful medic and Lee thinks so much of you…" She shifted on her feet, suddenly hesitant. "I…I didn't know where else to go."

She squeezed Tenten's hands reassuringly. "Don't worry. I'm sure whatever it is, we can take care of it quickly. I'll just-" But once again she was cut short as Tenten raised her head, her voice and fingers trembling with something like fear, or maybe apprehension.

"Sakura, I think I'm pregnant."

To be continued.


	3. Still Breathing

Author's Notes: Here's where having read "Crossing the Acheron" will most come in handy because you will understand some of the cut scenes I've included. If you haven't read that yet, I suggest you do so before continuing, otherwise I'm not responsible for the resulting confusion. ;)

**The Bridge to Mnemosyne  
**Chapter Three

"I'm going to keep this baby."

Sakura looked up from the notes she was making in Tenten's file, her pen coming to a halt against the sterile, pre-printed sheets that spoke in glaring black letters of things Sakura might never experience. She turned on her stool slightly to glance at the other girl, taking in the dark-haired kunoichi's firm expression. There was a tone in her voice though that said she was trying to convince herself.

Sitting her pen down, Sakura linked her hands together and searched Tenten's face, trying to find a bit of happiness tucked into those tired eyes. There was none, not yet anyway. The news was probably too fresh for her to take any joy out of her condition, and there were certainly obvious obstacles to this new development. The birth of a Hyuuga was not something that would go unnoticed.

Clearing her throat, Sakura kept her voice low and calm. "Of course you'll keep the baby, Tenten-san, but you must realize that you will eventually have to stop training during the last months of your pregnancy." Even Sakura knew that Tenten's greatest wish was to become as strong as Tsunade. "I'm not trying to change your mind, but it's not going to be easy for-"

"For someone like me," Tenten cut in abruptly, but her voice was so soft the words had no sting. "For a woman alone."

Sakura leaned forward, earnest and concerned. "Is there anyone you might go to live with? A relative? Perhaps Lee-san could-"

Tenten made a negative motion with one hand. "He's done enough for me. I can't rely on him forever." She took a quivering breath. "I'll raise Neji's child on my own if I have to." She laid one hand on her still flat belly unconsciously and Sakura mentally smiled to see the protective motion. It was a good sign.

"What about the Hyuugas? I'm sure they would want to know about this."

Something in Tenten's face tightened and she looked suddenly afraid. "Sakura, please, I don't want them to know. Not yet. The things Neji…" She pressed her lips together briefly, stifling whatever she was going to say. "I just can't face them right now."

Sakura nodded slowly. "I can't tell them anything about your condition that you don't want released." She hesitated. "Still, I think it might be wise to talk to them. You need support and the Hyuugas are very defensive of their members. You would be safe with them."

"I have some time, don't I? Before I have to decide."

The older girl looked so lost that Sakura couldn't help but feel sorry for her, her heart aching for Tenten's situation. It was a cruel fate that deprived her of her child's father and forced her to face Hyuuga Hiashi alone, without even proof of Neji's love to shield her from those all-seeing eyes.

"You have some time," Sakura answered gently. "You won't start showing for awhile." She swiveled back to her desk to aligning Tenten's papers, closing the file as she continued, "I'll keep your secret, Tenten-san, but in return I want you to come to me if you have any questions or problems." She turned again to smile cheerfully at the other girl. "And, of course, I want to be able to deliver the baby!"

For the first time since she had set foot into the hospital, a small smile crept onto Tenten's lips and a shadow of her former self brightened the room. It guttered out in the next instant like a spent candle, but Sakura was pleased. As long as she could still smile, she would be alright.

"Thank you," she said, her eyes suspiciously shiny. Sakura stood and laid a hand on Tenten's shoulder.

"Can I get someone to take you home?"

Tenten slipped off the examination table, wavering a bit as she regained her balance. "No, I want to walk. It will give me time to think." She offered another pale smile. "I'm glad I came to you, Sakura. I guess I should listen to Lee more often." She bowed and Sakura returned the motion, watching the weapons expert then turn to leave, drifting through the bare hallway like a ghost.

Biting her lip, Sakura hugged Tenten's file to her chest, seeing so many parallels between them.

And suddenly grateful for the differences.

* * *

Staring at the bubbling, trickling water of the river, he listened intently to it's watery song. He thought, if he tried hard enough, he might hear a word in the ripples. It was a vain hope though. 

The river didn't know his name either.

* * *

Tenten sat down on the park bench carefully, now hyper aware of her body and how much she had abused it in the last couple of weeks. She knew she looked thin and tired and beaten but that was going to change. 

She had made her choice.

Letting the wind run invisible fingers through her hair, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air, hoping to settle her mind and thoughts. It was still hard for her to believe, even though Sakura had confirmed her suspicion. She was pregnant with Neji's child. _Neji's_. There was something about that idea that brought warmth back to her cheeks and filled that aching gap in her soul a little.

"We're going to have a child," she whispered, hoping her words would reach him wherever he was. Maybe if she wished hard enough, they would wing their way to his side. Air hitched in her chest. "I'm going to be a mother."

That thought was almost absurd. Her, someone's _mother_? She who felt ungainly and awkward just handling a piece of china? How would she ever care for a small, helpless baby who would be completely dependent on her?

You need support…

She knew that, and she knew the best option would be to go the Hyuuga compound that instant and throw herself on their mercy, but something stopped her from getting to her feet and taking that first step. The same something that had shot through her when Sakura had mentioned going to the Hyuugas earlier, a stretched, panicky feeling that stole her breath. After everything she had learned about Neji's family, could she really take her child there? Most likely to be branded with the same curse Neji had always hated? On the other hand, they _were_ her baby's family, and she would not be able to hide forever. All it would take was one Hyuuga member glancing at her with the Byakugan activated and it would be over.

In the end, she supposed her child, as an inheritor of his father's Byakugan, would need the protection only the Hyuugas could offer. She would have to go to them at some point.

"But not yet," she murmured, linking her fingers together over her stomach. _If only for this moment, I want to remember what it feels like not to be alone._

In the tree branches above her, a sparrow sang sweetly and her eyes filled with tears.

She didn't understand why.

* * *

He liked to count the birds in the morning, something about it calming him, giving him a sense of _rightness_. He asked Seichiro once why that might be. The old fisherman had lifted his head from tending the breakfast fire and answered in his low, gravelly voice. 

"Birds know the taste of true freedom. Maybe you do, too."

* * *

In the weeks that followed, Tenten made an effort to find herself again. She drew pack the curtains in her windows, blinking briefly in the bright sunshine that dripped inside, melting over her furniture and floors. She opened the windows as well and felt something oppressive slip out, something she might have labeled "grief" and "longing" had she bothered to look at it. She didn't though. This new turn in her life required a certain amount of denial on her part. 

She spent a full day cleaning her apartment and by the end of it, sitting on her couch with a broom over her knees, she laughed as she realized this was what Sakura had meant about "nesting". She shared the joke with Lee when he came over for dinner. He had been coming over regularly since he had learned she was pregnant, overjoyed with the prospect of being an honorary uncle. He usually brought groceries with him, saying she shouldn't overexert herself in her condition.

Tenten's "delicate condition" seemed to be a running theme between him and Gai-sensei. They wouldn't let her do target practice anymore, even though Gai really wasn't her teacher and Lee was not her teammate. The moment she even _considered_ picking up a kunai they howled that she was going to do herself harm and to think of the baby. It might have annoyed her if she didn't know that this baby meant almost as much to them as it did to her. So she swallowed her sarcastic retorts and did her training in private. Lee and Gai kept on smiling.

And she found she could smile, too, once in a while, when the day was bright and her body felt heavy and sleepy and the world wasn't too clear. The nights were her enemies though, for they always brought her dreams of him, images that haunted her because she hated them and yet yearned for them, caught in a cycle of self torture. When the sun rose, she would breathe a sigh of relief, locking those memories away until the next twilight. It wasn't such a bad life though, and she figured out that she could still live it, which had initially come as a surprise to her. Neji was dead. He was dead and she could still walk and see and breathe.

How strange.

No one else seemed to think it was odd though, and so she carried on, watching mothers play with their children in the park and wondering if she would ever be as confident as they were. She listened to Lee dream aloud about Sakura and waved him goodbye when he went on missions. She allowed Gai to coddle her and boast to Kakashi that it was _his_ kunoichi that got knocked up first. (Well, Gai had used the phrase "became an adult" but Tenten had been a little more realistic.) Needless to say, Kakashi had patted her on the shoulder in pity, oblivious to Gai crowing his victory in the background.

After that, she began to understand that it wasn't only Gai and Lee who cared about her. The few others who knew her secret often checked in on her, too, especially when she began to show. Of course, that time in her pregnancy also brought hazards and one of them, the most feared one, came to her on a clear Konoha morning in late fall, when the air was crisp and the children ate apples with caramel. She had risen early that day because Sakura had asked her to come in for a check-up. She and the medic-in-training had become friends over the course of Tenten's pregnancy, something neither of them had thought would ever happen, but it was clear that Tsunade-sama's influence was sharpening Sakura like one sharpens a katana and that made Sakura a much easier person for Tenten to talk to, she who knew weapons better than anyone else.

Anxious as she always was before an appointment with Sakura, she had been hurrying around the apartment looking for a scarf when her doorbell rang, somehow stern and strong in the silence of dawn. Without glancing through the peephole, she opened it and came face to face with the two people she had hoped would never grace her doorstep, not until she was ready.

Hinata dropped her hand, looking nervous and uncomfortable, a frightened deer. It was the man behind her though that Tenten's eyes met and held, her fingers trembling on the door handle.

Hyuuga Hiashi inclined his head ever so slightly, the tiniest of motions, but Tenten's eyes widened as if he had bowed to her. His voice, when he spoke, was calm and cordial and utterly frank.

"Tenten-san, if you have a moment, I would like to talk to you."

"About what?" Her mouth was dry.

His look was firm and yet somehow patient. "About you moving into the Hyuuga compound."

Tenten didn't make her appointment that day.

To Be Continued…


	4. My New Home

Author's Notes: Kind of a filler chapter but it should be interesting to those of you who read "Acheron". I'm thinking the next chapter will be the last so we're almost there! ;D Enjoy!

**The Bridge to Mnemosyne  
**Chapter Four

In all her years as a kunoichi, facing swords and knives and fatal intentions, flying through darkness and tree branches, barely escaping death on the rayed edge of a shuriken, she had never faced anything more intimidating than sitting down to tea with Hyuuga Hiashi.

They sat on the floor in the traditional style, facing each other across a low wooden table whose surface gleamed in the golden sunlight of autumn that streamed through her windows. Bright dust motes danced in the air, almost like fireflies, and she stared with wide eyes at the leader of the Hyuuga clan, her fingers tightly pressed together in her lap. He had struck her silent with his words at the door and she had no idea what to say to him, or even what words she should use if she found her tongue. It wasn't as if she could hide the fact that she was pregnant, the curve of her stomach had been quite obvious for the last few weeks. Still, she couldn't image how he could know it was Neji's. She had been careful, oh-so-careful, in avoiding any white-eyed ninjas so how could he possibly know for sure…?

Hinata, of all people, served them tea in cracked porcelain cups Tenten's mother had left her. She moved with the quiet grace of a dancer and the modesty of a servant, never lifting her eyes, never uttering a sound. Hiashi ignored his daughter completely, his gaze fixated on Tenten. He calmly took a sip of his tea and she suddenly felt sick to her stomach, the clink of his teacup against the saucer almost too loud in her ears.

"It's not his," she blurted abruptly, voice hoarse and dry. Beside her, Hinata went very still, but Hiashi only raised an eyebrow, the expression so reminiscent of Neji that Tenten felt herself quake. She hadn't meant to be the first to say anything, but the pressure of Hiashi's presence was breaking her slowly. And, in a flash, she instantly understood Hinata's shyness and Neji's hatred. This man could evoke both without even trying.

"You and I both know that's not true, Tenten-san," he said finally, after taking another sip of tea. She lowered her head a little and watched the steam rise from her cup. "The child you're carrying is the last bearer of my brother's legacy, and the only Hyuuga with Neji's potential power. It would be dangerous for you, and the baby, if our enemies learned of your existence."

She raised her eyes again, somehow feeling as if she were being scolded. "I know what my child is," she said strongly, eyes flashing. It was a surprise when Hiashi smiled slightly in return, seemingly impressed her reaction.

"I can see why Neji chose you," he remarked after a moment, and her mood swung from agitated to sad and she had to look away from those all-seeing eyes. Hiashi shifted slightly. "I ask that you come to the Hyuuga compound, Tenten-san. For your safety, and that of your child's." He hesitated and she blinked, caught by the strange look of sorrow on his face. Strange only because she had not expected to see it there. "I failed Neji a long time ago, Tenten-san. Please allow me to do this for him."

_And for you,_ she wanted to say, because she knew it wasn't truly a selfless act, but it was beyond her to question something between him and Neji. She was being backed into a corner and she did what any ninja would do in that situation. She lifted her head, met Hyuuga Hiashi's eye, and spoke steadily.

"And if I do not come with you?"

The line of Hiashi's mouth hardened and his voice was stern. "I will send Branch members to watch over you, even to live with you if I must. It will be uncomfortable for you, of course, but that is the price of your choice." _The price of your freedom._ "And the child will be brought to me at the correct age, with or without you. I will not allow a Hyuuga to be put in danger because of his mother's stubborn nature."

Tenten's fingers clenched against her leg. Here, at last, was the dominating patriarch of the Hyuuga clan, patient and firm one moment, and bitingly cold the next. What was perhaps more frustrating was that she understood the necessity of his words, though she hated them as well.

And she understood also what she must do.

Forgive me, Neji, for not being strong enough to fight him, but I'm not even sure I should. Our child, he or she will need them, their power and their protection. And I… I need them as well.

Forgive me.

"I accept." She exhaled quietly and lowered her shoulders in defeat. "I will come to the Hyuuga compound." A brief pause. "Hiashi-sama." And she bowed to him, the deep bow of a Branch member to the patriarch. A soft gasp left Hinata's lips, too breathless for sound, and when Tenten straightened, Hiashi looked pleased.

"A wise choice, Tenten-san," he said, rising swiftly and bringing all of them to their feet along with him. "Hinata will see to everything." He caught his daughter's eye. "I leave her to you."

The door shut behind the Hyuuga's retreating figure and Tenten's knees immediately gave way as she collapsed backwards onto the couch, exhaling with relief and nerves. She sat there, lost in anxious thoughts until a soft voice made her realize Hinata was still there. Tenten looked over at the small girl and felt immense pity for her. The poor thing had a way of standing absolutely still so to be constantly overlooked. Something she had learned at an early age, no doubt.

"Are you alright?" Hinata asked carefully, seeming unsure of herself. Tenten slid a hand over her stomach for comfort and nodded once. "My… My father… He can be very stict b…but he really wants what's best for you." She fiddled with the hem of her shirt nervously until Tenten finally patted the seat beside her, beckoning the girl to her side. Hinata approached cautiously and sat with the trepidation of one expecting a blow of some sort.

"Not for me," Tenten said quietly. "He wants what's best for a Hyuuga." She patted the mound of her stomach in emphasis. Hinata looked at her with surprisingly gentle silver eyes, the first kind look Tenten had seen all morning.

"Isn't that the same thing?"

Tenten blinked and surprised herself by smiling, wondering if Neji had ever been astounded by his cousin's mild way of speaking the absolute truth. "I guess you're right," she answered with a sigh. "Still, I don't think I'll make a very good Hyuuga. I'm not very… refined."

"I… I will help you, Tenten-san. I c…could teach you our ways." She looked down at her lap, her fingers moving nervously. "If…If you want me to."

Watching Hinata's awkwardness, Tenten knew the younger girl was just as lonely as she was, perhaps more so, surrounded as she was by a sea of family and yet never feeling as if she deserved their attention. She knew also that the Branch members were in charge of protecting the Main house and all of the Hyuuga's secrets. When her child was born, she would be a honorary member of that line. Maybe, maybe she could help Hinata, in her own way…

Reaching over the space between them, Tenten laid a calming hand on Hinata's, smiling warmly when startled white eyes lifted to meet hers. "I would like that very much, Hinata. And please, just call me Tenten. After all, I suppose we're family now." She winked in reassurance and Hinata's mouth twitched into a shy smile. The Hyuuga heir stood and bowed slightly, formally.

"Welcome to the family, Tenten. I'm sure your son will be very strong."

Tenten jerked, startled. "My…my son?"

A blush rose in Hinata's fair cheeks and she lifted a hand to her mouth in what must have been a nervous habit.

"You…you didn't know? The baby you're carrying… It's a boy."

* * *

"So, this is your new home," Lee said, walking beside her, holding two huge bags, one full of clothes, the other full of weapons. He had insisted on helping her move in to the Hyuuga compound though Hinata had offered practically a herd of Branch members to get the job done in five minutes. Tenten wasn't taking much with her, just her personal belongings. Everything else in her apartment, including furniture, had been sold. Hinata had said all the necessities would be provided and that leaving those things behind was a sign that she was no longer the person she had been. 

She was a Hyuuga now.

Tenten had declined the offer of help from Hinata, though, knowing that Lee had his own reason for doing things. He had been strangely serious when she had told him of her decision to live with Neji's family, telling her he thought she was making a noble choice. Just to cheer him up, she had let it slip that she was having a boy and watched his smile creep across his face, staggering backwards a little at his enthusiastic hug. She had also asked him to be an honorary uncle to her son, along with Gai of course, and he had practically burst into tears on the spot. It had not been until that moment that she realized just how much Lee was hurting, too.

"Yes," she answered, stepping into the courtyard. "My new home…"

She had been on the grounds before but it somehow looked different now that she knew she would be staying. The sloping roofs, the perfectly manicured bushes and trees, the elegant architecture, it made her feel older somehow. Her shoes clicked against gleaming wooden floors, paper doors sliding back silently and smoothly. It was a beautiful place, but she wasn't sure she could ever call it home.

Hinata came to greet them, a little off balance upon noticing Lee but she recovered quickly and smiled, linking her fingers together. "Welcome, Tenten, Lee-san. Everything has been set up for you. Would you like me to show you to your new room?"

"Hello, Hinata-san," Lee answered, and Tenten nodded.

"Please, this suitcase is getting heavier by the minute."

Hinata frowned worriedly. "You shouldn't be lifting such things in your condition." Lee nodded vigorously.

"That's what I said, Hinata-san! In her delicate condition, she should not be-"

"I'll show _you_ delicate," Tenten grumbled. "Next time, I'm having you carry _all_ the bags."

Lee flashed a big smile and Hinata laughed softly. "Well, come this way. It's not far."

And, indeed, it was not. Her new chambers looked out upon the courtyard, the room large and spacious and so dustless that she knew it must have been cleaned that morning. However, that was not what halted her in her tracks, her suitcase falling to the floor as her eyes widened, fingers trembling.

"Tenten," Lee murmured.

"M…My father thought y…you would want this r…room," Hinata stuttered, anxious because of Tenten's reaction. "But there are o…others…" She trailed off as Tenten reached out to touch the wall, fingertips skimming its surface lightly.

"This," she said quite clearly, "was Neji's room."

She and Lee had been in it a number of time during their days as genins. Neji hadn't liked it much, preferring his freedom from his suffocating cage, but his presence still seemed to linger there. She thought she could even smell his unique scent of wind and sandalwood if she tried hard enough.

Closing her eyes briefly, she turned to Hinata and smiled softly. "Thank you," she whispered, and the younger girl shifted, blushing.

"There's also a small room next door," the Hyuuga heir added helpfully, "for the baby."

Lee set his bags down and rolled up his sleeves. "Well then! Let's get this unloaded! Otherwise, we'll have to do 100 push-ups, and if we can't do those, we'll have to run 200 laps around the village, and if we can't do _that_ we'll…"

Tenten tuned her friend out as the three of them got to work, personalizing the stark room with her meager belongings. About an hour later, Lee continued to unload boxes while Hinata took Tenten on a tour of the compound, introducing her to family members as they went. Most of the Hyuugas welcomed her politely with small smiles that were more curious than indifferent. She found it rather amusing that every pair of white eyes immediately when to her stomach when they heard who she was. She wondered, too, what they saw when they looked at her.

By the time darkness fell, all three of them were exhausted, Lee having fallen asleep on her bed, snoring and drooling into her pillow. Tenten pulled her comforter over his shoulders and left him there, walking out to sit down next to Hinata on the edge of the patio, a tired sigh leaving her as she took her weight off her feet. Hinata glanced at her with concern but she waved it away with a self-deprecating smile.

"I'm alright," she said, "Guess I'm still not quite used to being pregnant." Her lips quirked. "Silly, isn't it?"

Hinata shook her head. "I don't think so." A blush stained the other girl's porcelain cheeks and Tenten's eyebrows rose.

"What is it?" she asked, curiously. Hinata's fingers moved together in that nervous habit of hers. Tenten smiled. "Whatever it is, you can ask."

White-silver eyes glanced at her shyly. "Did… Did you love my cousin?" Tenten jerked as if the wind had been knocked out of her and Hinata immediately sat up straight, looking frightened. "I..I'm sorry! I shouldn't have asked! I..It's not my place to-"

Tenten shook her head. "No, it's alright, it's just…" She took a breath. "It startled me is all."

Hinata sat back again but she looked uncomfortable, and somehow guilty at breeching a subject usually keep silent. Tenten wanted to tell her it wasn't her fault, but she was still unused to talking about Neji with others. It still hurt to refer to him in the past tense and it was inevitable that the moment she said his name she would be overrun with memories of the past. Only Lee was aware how much this affected her and he rarely mentioned Neji in her presence, sparing her the instantaneous realization that, yes, he really was gone.

It was time, though, that she learned to say his name without wanting to cry.

"I loved him," she said very quietly. "Very much." She turned to look at Hinata, offering her a painful smile. "Did he love me?" A shuddering breath left her. "We'll never know."

The sun set in a glorious blaze of autumn golds and reds, burning the sky before flaring out, the dark clouds of night rolling in from the east. Tenten eventually rose and went inside, smacking Lee over the head and berating him for falling asleep when _she_ was still awake.

Hinata stayed seated, watching the stars come out one by one. Though she was often uncertain around Tenten, she felt… safe with her, unjudged. It gave her a warm feeling whenever they laughed together, something Hinata had never experienced with Hanabi. Was this what having a sister was supposed to feel like? Whatever it was, she wanted to hold onto it.

Folding her hands in her lap, she looked up and spoke to the ghost of a memory.

"I like her, Neji-ni-san," she whispered. "And you did, too, didn't you."

It wasn't a question.

To be continued…


	5. On the Knife's Edge

Author's Notes: The end at last. A big, heartfelt thanks to everyone who's stayed with me this far. This chapter is for you.

**The Bridge to Mnemosyne  
**Chapter Five

For the next several months, Tenten immersed herself in the solemn, ivory-painted world of the Hyuugas. She rose with the pale rays of the sun and ate the morning meal with the Branch members, sipping tea from fine porcelain and exchanging polite words with men and woman whose eyes, for all their power, never really saw her. She learned when to bow and when to only incline her head, which titles should be addressed to whom, even how to walk through the corridors as if she were floating, the shining wooden floorboards like water beneath her feet.

She wore her hair down more, perfectly combed and heavy in her hands. It was getting quite long and gave her headaches if she wore it in buns too long. With it down, she felt more like one of her adopted family, who all seemed to have unusually long hair, at least those of whom she saw everyday.

Hinata, though, never grew hers.

Instead, the two of them picked flowers in the garden, childishly making blossom necklaces and crowns and giggling like schoolgirls. Then put flowers in vases too and left them around the compound, dripping color in their footsteps where before there had been none. The two girls had become quite close as Tenten's pregnancy progressed into its final stages, the older kunoichi's throaty laugh a balm to Hinata's own worries. Tenten had also, almost unknowingly, stepped into Neji's shoes, fulfilling the role he had never wanted. She glared at Hanabi if the girl said something biting to her sister and was quick to defend Hinata if she was being teased about her shyness. In Tenten, Hinata had found a friend, an ally who was, perhaps, just as alienated as she was.

"It's my eyes," Tenten had said once, half-teasing. "Change makes them uncomfortable."

And it might have been that, but there was also the baby and that made them nervous as well. _Neji's _child made them nervous. Tenten found that rather amusing, that she could be the mother of a child whose very birth might collapse the Hyuuga's careful world of rules and seals like a house of cards. It was her son's power they feared, and Tenten used that fear to protect herself and Hinata. She wasn't ashamed to do so either.

At the beginning of her ninth month, she had no qualms in taking advantage of whatever she could to make her life easier. She was constantly fatigued and still could not sleep much, haunted at night by phantoms of remembered moments by _his_ side. She was a bit restless as well, something Sakura had told her was natural. She was close to her time and with each passing day she walked with the weight of her growing child, a sorrowful wish in her heart that Neji might be watching her, wherever he was.

As the time for her son's birth grew closer, Lee became a nervous wreck, annoying her with his constant presence until she all but snapped at him to run laps around the village. To be fair though, Lee was trying to fill both pairs of shoes, his own and Neji's, hovering over her, ready to fulfill her every whim and scolding her if she so much as lifted a reading book. His heart was in the right place but she could never tell him that, no matter what he did, she would always yearn for Neji. She was having his child, what else could she do?

"I'm not strong enough to do this," she whispered to Lee that night. She was sitting in a rocking chair Hinata had bought for her, for when the baby was born, and Lee was kneeling before her, his ear pressed against the hard mound of her stomach. He liked listening to her son's heartbeat, amazed that she had created such an "exuberant promise of life", as he put it.

Upon hearing her words, he lifted his head slightly, enough to look her in the eye. Surprisingly, he smiled at her gently. "But there is no one else."

His words were meant to be blunt, and not because he wanted to hurt her, but because it was the truth and Lee, if nothing else, always reacted honestly. Tenten looked away, her shoulders dropping as she exhaled in an attempt to keep tears at bay.

"I'm tired of being strong."

"I know."

They sat together in silence for several more minutes, various expressions running across Lee's face as he listened to her son. Outside, the sun was setting and lanterns were being lit within the compound, fragrant smoke filling the air. It was a typical evening in the Hyuuga household, the addition of Lee being nothing remarkable. They had grown used to his presence since she had moved in and let him come and go as he wished, evening allowing him to eat the evening meal with them, sometimes. Before… Before, that might have seemed strange, but now it was like everything else, routine.

Until Lee jerked back suddenly, clearly surprised.

Tenten blinked. "What is it…?" But then her eyes widened and she paled.

"Tenten…" Lee's eyes were the size of saucers.

She licked her lips, wondering why they were suddenly dry. "Lee, I think my water just broke."

* * *

"SAKURA!" 

Sakura jumped, startled, as Lee burst into the waiting room of the hospital, running to her side upon seeing her and tugging on her arm. "Quickly! You must come with me! There' s not a lot of time!"

"Wa…Wait! Lee!" He was pulling her out the double doors, her feet skidding against the smooth tiles. "What's going on? What's wrong with you?"

"Not me," he said, breathless, "It's Tenten! She's having the baby!"

"She's having the…" Sakura's eyes widened and she did some quick calculations in her head. "Where is she?"

"At the Hyuuga compound. It all happened so fast and Hinata doesn't think there's time to move her. You have to come with me!"

She nodded, running with him. "Of course!"

By the time they reached the compound, white-eyed Hyuugas had gathered in the courtyard outside Tenten's room, surprisingly calm but with a charged air around them that spoke of subdued excitement. Lee plowed through them with more nerve than she would ever have had on her own and they reached the rice-paper doors where Maito Gai was pacing, looking every bit like a nervous uncle. When he saw her, he threw his arms around her dramatically, almost knocking her backwards.

"Sakura! Thanks goodness you've come! My little buttercup, she's… she's…" But he burst into tears before he could finish and Sakura struggled out of his grip, transferring the distraught man to Lee.

"It's alright. I'll take care of her," she told him reassuringly, before sliding back the door and stepping inside quickly, closing it again behind her.

Tenten lay on her bed, her long hair unbound, her skin shining with sweat. Her dark eyes were filled with pain but lightened a bit when they saw her standing there. Standing by the laboring woman's bedside, Hinata breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Sakura-san, I'm so glad to see you. The contractions started so quickly, I… I'm not sure what to do."

Sakura went to the bed, reaching out to squeeze Tenten's hand and giving Hinata a calming smile.

"That's alright, Hinata-chan. Everything's going to be fine. Just fine." She looked down at Tenten. "Let's see about making you more comfortable, shall we?"

Hours past as the two girls fetched hot water and blankets, Sakura monitoring and helping Tenten through each contraction, the older girl groaning with each new wave of pain. Hinata spoke soothingly to her, her soft voice singing a gentle melody in between contractions.

After nine hours, Tenten's will collapsed and she burst into tears, almost hiccupping with exhaustion, physical pain, and grief. They knew without speaking why she wept, and so Sakura and Hinata leaned over to hug her, murmuring encouragingly while she got herself under control again.

Another hour and Hyuuga Keiki was born, crying gustily and so beautiful that Hinata felt tears in her own eyes as she passed him to his mother. Sakura sat back, almost as tired as Tenten was, and smiled wearily at mother and son. Tenten laughed softly as Keiki's tiny fingers curled around one of hers reflexively and he stopped wailing, watching her as if he knew exactly who she was.

Glancing over at the two girls witnessing this, she conveyed her gratitude with a look. "Thank you," she said hoarsely.

Hinata blushed and Sakura's smile widened. "I think there are two very worried uncles waiting outside, Hinata and I will go and reassure them," she said, rising slowly and sending Hinata a silent message that they should let Tenten have a moment alone. The Hyuuga heir nodded minutely and paused only to touch her cousin's small head softly before following Sakura out, closing the door behind her as Gai and Lee prepared to rush inside. Sakura held her hands up, palms out.

"Everything's alright," she said kindly, her eyes sparkling at the anxious looks on their faces. "Tenten did wonderfully and she's resting for a moment." She touched Lee on the arm. "It's a healthy baby boy."

Lee's grin almost blinded her and he turned to his old teacher. "Did you hear that, Gai-sensei?"

"I DID INDEED, LEE!" Gai crowed. "Our Tenten has completed her most important mission with burning rays of determination!"

Lee's eyes filled with tears. "GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

Sakura turned away before she started twitching as Gai and Lee embraced dramatically, seemingly unaware of anyone else. Beyond them, the Hyuugas were talking amongst themselves but Sakura could see that most of them looked pleased, even proud, as if they had delivered the child themselves. Deciding to draw attention away from Lee and Gai's emotional display, she directed her next words at them.

"She's decided to name him Keiki, Hyuuga Keiki."

"Keiki," a voice repeated and she looked to the side, blinking as she realized Hyuuga Hiashi was standing there, looking as stern and polished as ever. She nodded to him hesitantly and felt her heart almost stop when he gave her a half-smile. "It means 'happy child'."

Sakura nodded again, shocked that he appeared almost happy. "It does."

"A fine name, I think," and he looked out over his clan, somehow stilling them with only a look. "Let us welcome Hyuuga Keiki, a child born from happiness."

Instantly, a low hum was taken up and the Hyuugas began to sing, their voices rising in a gentle, traditional song whose words Sakura couldn't really understand but which she found almost more touching in her lack of comprehension.

Inside her bedroom, Tenten heard the song meant for her son and smiled tearfully, looking upwards to the ceiling. "Do you see him, Neji?" she said softly. "He's ours, yours and mine." Glancing down at the child in her arms, she kissed his forehead, right where a curse seal might one day be.

"I love you," she whispered, and it no longer mattered to whom she was speaking.

* * *

The knife slipped from his hands before he realized what was happening, hitting the floor at his feet almost soundlessly. He stared at it a moment, his mind struck numb, his hands shaking as he struggled to hold on to the fishing net in his hands. In his head, he heard a voice, both loud and soft at the same time until he wanted to clamp his hands over his ears in frustration. And there was an image, the first one he could label as a true memory, her face somehow as familiar to him as his own. 

He made a sound in his throat and dropped the net, one hand going to his forehead where that strange marking was, as if by touching it he might understand what he was seeing.

Sitting across from him, Seichiro watching him calmly. "You remembered something."

He lifted his head to look at the old fisherman, his pale silver eyes almost shadowed. "There was a girl."

Seichiro laughed, the sound almost a croak. "There always is." He watched him thoughtfully for a moment. "It says something that you recalled her first, even before your own name."

"What?"

Seichiro's craggy face simply looked at him. "I don't know."

He looked down at the floor again, his colorless eyes focusing on the razor edge of the knife blade, watching the light flicker along it and reflect back. The mirrored surface showed him a young man with a strange gaze and long dark hair, a smooth, flawless face unused to the creases that happiness brings.

But he thought he might have known it, once.

"Tenten," he murmured and Seichiro shifted in his chair.

"What was that?"

"That was her name," said the nameless man quietly, picking up the fallen weapon and going back to work on the nets, "Tenten, and I think I loved her."

THE END.

The story is continued in "Crossing the Acheron".


End file.
